More to palliative care than dying

PALLIATIVE care and its benefits have been highlighted at the annual Scattering the Ashes ceremony at Bendigo Health.

It was part of last week’s National Palliative Care Week, and served as a gesture of support for those who use the service, and as a means of raising awareness.

The ceremony was led by palliative care medicine consultant, Associate Professor Natasha Michael, specialist palliative care and evaluation unit manager Melinda Linguey, and spiritual care manager Karen Lunney.

Each year, a Christmas tree is erected at Bendigo Marketplace where service volunteers, patients and families can leave baubles and write messages on cards attached to them.

The cards are later taken down and ceremonially burned, with the ashes scattered in a memorial garden at the entrance to the palliative care unit at the hospital.

According to Bendigo Health specialist palliative care manager Alison Smith, the ceremony’s purpose was not only one of commemoration.

“We try to make it thought-provoking,” she said. “We want to help people think about what’s important to them.”

Ms Smith said a big part of the message was that palliative care was not just about death and dying, but was a matter for entire families.

“It’s about where you want to be at the end of your life, and to have discussions to make that happen,” she said.

The Bendigo Health palliative care service offers symptom management, education, 24-hour nursing support and advice, loan equipment, a bereavement program and more.

It also receives help from a roster of volunteers.

The service aims to improve the quality of life of individuals and their families facing the problems associated with a terminal illness.

This includes the prevention and relief of suffering by means of early identification, assessment and treatment of symptoms.

Help may be physical, emotional or spiritual.

National Palliative Care Week itself is about raising awareness and working to ensure quality palliative care is available to everyone, where and when they need it.